Bag formers



Dec. 31, 1957 J. B. TAYLOR, SR

BAG FORMERS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. '7, 1955 INVENTOR cfiessefi fay/0 3&5111111517 I A RNEY Dec. 31, 19 5 J. B. TAYLOR, SR 2,818,004

BAG FORMERS Filed Dec. 7, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR i %s.se Jig Z6229.

Dec. 31, 1957 J. B. TAYLOR, SR 2,818,004

BAG FORMERS Filed Dec. 7, 1955 I 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 F"-w I l I I I ll IHI H] 16 INVENTOR c/easefl frag/fa); e52:

AZORNEY United States Patent BAG FORMERS Jesse B. Taylor, Sr., Richmond, Va. Application December 7, 1955, Serial No. 551,649

6 Claims. (Cl. 93-20) This invention relates to paper bag machines, and more particularly to the formers about which a strip of paper is fed to produce a continuous tube from which the bags are made.

The general object of the invention is to devise an improved construction of former which is adjustable in width, so that bags of different sizes may be made on the same machine.

In order that the invention may be readily understood, reference is had to the accompaying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which:

Fig. l is a fragmentary side elevation of a bag making machine showing my improved former incorporated therein.

Fig. 2 is a transverse section on an enlarged scale taken substantially on the line XX of Figs. 1, and 6.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the same scale taken substantially on the line y--y of Figs. 1, 5 and 6.

Fig. 4 is a transverse section through the pleated paper tube produced by improved former.

Fig. 5 is a plan view on an enlarged scale of my improved former.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation thereof.

Fig. 6a is a transverse section substantially on the line zz of Fig. 6.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional plan view on a still further enlarged scale of one end of my improved former, the section being taken substantially on the line 77 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 8 is a longitudinal section substantially on the line 8-8 of Fig. 7; and

Fig. 9 is a transverse section substantially on the line 99 of Fig. 8.

Referring to the drawings in detail my improved former is shown as incorporated in a bag making machine of the type illustrated in Patent No. 467,533 Ehst and Fiester, dated January 26, 1892. As will be seen by referring to this patent, this machine comprises a suitable frame supporting a roll of paper A, from which the strip or ribbon of paper is fed as indicated at B over a supporting plat form C. The paper strip is fed or pulled along toward the left by suitable feeding mechanism (not shown). The paper strip passes under breaker wheels D by means of which the edges are turned up so as to be folded over and pasted together in a well known manner to form a tube.

My improved former is supported by arms E by means of a vertically extending rod F having at its upper end a nut G by means of which it may be adjusted vertically. The above described parts are all clearly shown in the said patent to Ehst and Fiester.

My improved former is indicated in its entirety by the numeral 1 and is formed at its right hand end with a narrow rigid plate 2 having holes 5 therein through which holes pass bolts 4 for attaching the plate to a bracket 3 which in turn is secured to the supporting rod F. In this way the former is supported from the arms E slight- 2,818,004 Patented Dec. 31, 1957.

ly above the platform C, so that the paper strip may freely pass between the former and this platform.

This plate 2 is rigidly secured to a block 12, as hereinafter more fully described, and this block 12 is in turn secured to a base plate 6 which extends longitudinally of the former.

Spaced somewhat from the block 12 and extending centrally and longitudinally of the former is a frame or backbone preferably formed of a pair of channel shaped members 7 disposed back to back as shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 6a. This frame tapers longitudinally as shown in Figs. 1 and 6, being highest at the right hand end. The frame is capable of longitudinal movement with respect to the base plate 6, and this base plate is formed at its edges with a plurality of lugs 8 overlying the flanges of the frame.

The frame or backbone composed of the channel members 7 has a longitudinally extending slot 9 formed therein at the highest end to receive a screw threaded shaft 10. This shaft works through a nut 11 disposed at the end of the slot 9 and secured to the frame member as by welding. The right hand end of the shaft 10 is not threaded but smooth as shown at 10a in Fig. 8, this smooth portion passing freely through the block 12. The extreme end of the shaft is preferably squared as shown at 10b to receive a suitable wrench so that the shaft may be turned. The shaft is held against longitudinal movement relative to the block 12 by means of collars 13 and 14 suitably secured to the shaft as by means of set screws 15.

The former comprises upper and lower pairs of inner guide strips 16 and 17. The strips 16 are supported by a plurality of links 18, after the manner of a parallel ruler. These links 18 are pivoted at one end to the strips 16 as indicated at 19, and are pivoted at the other end to the underside of the flanges of the channel members 7, as indicated at 20. The guide strips 17 are similarly supported by a plurality of links 21, these links being pivoted to the guide strips at one end as indicated at 22 and pivoted at the other end to the lower flangesof the channel members 7 as indicated at 23.

Rigidly secured to the guide strips 16 are a pair of guide members or stabilizers 24, projecting inwardly at right angles to the strips, and offset from each other longitudinally of the former. Similarly guide members or stabilizers 25 are rigidly secured to and project inwardly from the lower strips 17. The arrangement of these guide members or stabilizers is probably best shown in Figs. 7 and 8. These guide members extend into and through recesses in the block 12, and mounted in these recesses on each side of said guide members are anti-friction rollers 26 and 27, as clearly shown in Figs. 7 and 8. Thus the guide members 24 and 25 can move laterally of the block 12 and are guided in such movement by the rollers 26.

The rollers 26 are mounted on pins 28, the ends of which are threaded and enter similarly threaded sockets in the block 12. The pins 28 in the upper side of the block are provided with screw heads and pass through the plate 2 so as to rigidly secure this plate to the block, and the pins at the lower side of the block pass through the base plate 6 so that this base plate is likewise rigidly secured to the block. When installed, the plate 2, the block 12 and the base plate 6 are rigidly united and remain stationary.

When it is desired to change the width of the former so as to produce bags of dififerent sizes, the threaded shaft 10 is turned by means of a suitable wrench. This shaft being held against longitudinal movement by the collars 13 and 14 engaging the block 12, the result of turning the shaft is to cause the nut 11 to travel along the shaft. Since this nut is carried by the frame made up of the channel members 7 it follows that this frame is thus moved longitudinally of the base plate 6, and this movement serves to swing the links 18 and 21 on their pivots.

Meanwhile the guide strips 16 and 17 are held against longitudinal movement by means of the guide members or stabilizers 24 and 25, so that the swinging of the links on their pivots results in moving the guide strips 16 and 17 toward or away from each other while maintaining them parallel. Thus, by turning the shaft 10 the distance between the outer edges of the guide strips 16 and 17 may be varied as desired, and these strips will be firmly held in any position to which they are moved As in the above mentioned patent, my improved former contemplates the use of outer guide strips 29, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, these guide strips being supported by a plurality of links 30 pivoted at one end to the strips and pivotally mounted at the other end on supporting post 32. The links are held to these posts by thumb nuts 31, and by loosing these nuts the strips 29 may be adjusted as desired and set in adjusted position. They serve of course to form the crease or pleat on the sides of the paper tube from which the bags are to be made, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

In Figs. 4 I have illustrated the shape of the paper tube produced by my .improved former, this figure illustrating the tube as it appears just as it leaves the former, and before being completely flattened.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a former so constructed that its width may be changed as desired and the parts firmly held in any position to which they have been adjusted, and it is thought that the many advantages of my invention will be readily appreciated by those skilled in such matters.

What I claim is:

1. In a bag machine, a former comprising upper and lower pairs of parallel inner guide strips, a central longitudinal frame, a base plate on which said frame is supported, a plurality of independent, parallel links pivotally connecting each guide strip of each pair with said frame, means for holding said strips against longitudinal movement relative to said base plate while permitting them to move transversely parallel with themselves, and means for moving said frame endwise relative to said links, whereby said links cause the members of each pair of guide strips to be shifted toward or away from each other, thus varying the width of said former.

2. In a bag making machine, a former comprising an elongated base plate, a frame supported on said base plate and movable longitudinally thereof, upper and lower pairs of inner guide strips disposed generally parallel to said frame and to each other, a plurality of independent links pivotally connecting. each of said strips with said frame, means for holding said strips against longitudinal movement relative to said base plate, while permitting them to move laterally parallel with them selves, and. means for moving said frame longitudinally relative to said guide strips.

3; In a bag making machine, a former comprising an elongated base plate, a frame supported on said base plate and movable longitudinally thereof, upper and lower pairs of inner guide strips disposed generally parallel to said frame and to each other, a plurality of independent links pivotally connecting each of said strips with said frame, means for holding said strips against longitudinal movement relative to said base plate, while permitting them to move laterally parallel with themselves, a threaded, rotatable shaft working through a nut carried by said frame, and means for anchoring said shaft against movement relative to said base plate.

4. In a bag making machine, a former comprising an elongated base plate, a frame supported on said base plate and moveable longitudinally thereof, upper and lower pairs of inner guide strips disposed generally parallel to said frame and to each other, a plurality of inde pendent links pivotally connecting each of said strips with said frame, means for holding said strips against longitudinal movement relative to said base plate, while permitting them to move laterally parallel with themselves, and self-locking means for moving said frame relative to said base plate and for holding it in any position to which it is moved.

5. In a bag making machine, a former comprising an elongated base plate, a frame supported on said base plate and movable longitudinally thereof, upper and lower pairs of inner guide strips disposed generally parallel to said frame and to each other, a plurality of strips with said frame, a block rigid with said base plate and having transverse openings therethrough, a guide member rigid with each of said strips and disposed at right angles thereto, said guide members extending into and being slidable through said transverse openings, whereby said strips are held against longitudinal movcment but are free to move laterally toward and away from each other, and means for moving said frame longitudinally relative to said strips.

6. In a bag making machine, a former comprising an elongated base plate, a frame supported on said base plate and movable longitudinally thereof, upper and lower pairs of inner guide strips disposed generally parallel to said frame and to each other, a plurality of independent links pivotally connecting each of said strips with said frame, a block rigid with base plate and having transverse openings therethrough, a guide member rigid with each of said strips and disposed at right angles thereto, said guide members extending into and being slidable through said transverse openings, whereby said strips are held against longitudinal movement but are free to move laterally toward and away from each other. antifriction rollers mounted in said openings and engaging the side edges of said guide members, and means for moving said frame longitudinally with respect to said block.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 467,553 Ehst et al. Jan. 26, 1892 2,347,901 Gardner et al. May 2, 1944 2,406,677 Gardner et al. Aug. 27, 1946 2,668,324 Johnson Feb. 9, 1954 

